Is Hollywood Ready for Korean Comedies?

Several Korean comedy films have made their way to Hollywood recently, either as remakes or in the original Korean version. Either way, it will be interesting to see how much Korean-style comedy can impress American audiences.

"Detective K," which attracted 4.58 million viewers in the month since its release in Korea, will hit screens in the U.S. and Canada this month. Distributor Showbox said Thursday the film will be released in 10 cities in North America starting with Los Angeles on Friday, and in San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Hawaii and Vancouver a week later.

It will also go on release in Sydney, Australia on March 17 and has been sold to China, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and been invited to the Hawaii International Film Festival, which kicks off on April 1.

From left, scenes from "Detective K," "Hello Ghost" and "The Last Godfather"

"The Last Godfather," a parody of Hollywood classic "The Godfather" by Shim Hyung-rae, will be released in 12 North American cities on April 1.

"The Last Godfather," which cost W15 billion (US$1=W1,120), attracted an underwhelming 2.55 million viewers since its release on Dec. 29, well below the break-even point. But "Detective K" was a big hit, becoming the first film to lure over 4 million spectators this year. It remains a disappointment that these two films will be released in just 10 or 12 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

"Hello Ghost," starring Cha Tae-hyun, is to be remade in Hollywood. It was sold to 1492 Pictures at the end of last month. Founder director Chris Columbus said he was impressed by the powerful story that embraces all cultures and ages. "Castaway on the Moon" is another film that made inroads into Hollywood. It was made and will be distributed by the LA branch of the CJ Entertainment.